How to Try Expat Life Rent Free

Many people dream of living life abroad. Some envision doing so when they retire and others, like us, decide they want to take the leap sooner. A few of the challenges that "would be" expats deal with are deciding where to move abroad and how to afford to investigate that destination long term before making a commitment. Deciding these things can be daunting. But, there are ways to make the process a lot less intimidating.

So, how can you try expat life affordably to make an informed decision?

First, understand there’s no need to make a commitment to one place right off the bat. It is recommended that expats explore an area before making any commitments like signing a lease or buying property.

And, second, there is a way you can make living abroad for weeks or even months really, really affordable. Even if those places are among the most expensive travel destinations.

The answer is,

You can try expat life comfortably and affordably by house sitting! People around the world who are already expats travel back to their home countries for extended periods seasonally, to visit family, or to receive healthcare. A lot prefer to have their homes occupied while they’re away. Some have pets they want to leave behind in capable hands as well. This is a perfect opportunity for you to try out living in a new country!

In fact, house sitting opportunities exist in expat communities all around the world. Especially during the summer and over holidays. Long term house sitting jobs can last several months, or even a year. Providing you with a chance to explore a new country for a period that suits you. The benefit of house sitting over staying in a hotel or renting an apartment is the money you'll save on accommodation and food costs.

Having access to a kitchen to cook some meals will save money not eating in restaurants as much. It's also an opportunity to learn more about the culture shopping at markets for groceries. House sitting is an opportunity for you to live in a residential neighborhood, in a typical house (but rent free), just as if you were living in your potential new country. This kind of experience is invaluable for anyone considering a move abroad.

We tried expat life in Panama house sitting for 6 months

This is the outside living space of the home we looked after in Panama. What you can't see are the hundreds of hummingbirds in the nearby trees.

We spent six months house sitting in Los Alto de Cerro Azul, a holiday/expat community in the mountains an hour outside Panama City, Panama. The couple we were sitting for were Canadian. They wanted to return home to spend time with their first Grandchild.

They had two dogs that needed caring for. And, their home could not remain empty because of environmental issues that can arise when a home is shut up for long periods of time. This worked perfectly for us because the home and area were stunning. The amount of time we could stay would allow us to really get to know what life would be like living there.

Scorpions, huge moths, and snakes were some of the challenges we faced in Panama.

We shopped where locals shopped and dealt with challenges expats faced living in the community.

Our time in Panama was very affordable. We spent only $46 USD a day for all of our living expenses (groceries, eating out, visiting attractions, gas for the truck, and a visit to the dentist). The living costs definitely fit our budget. But, challenges with weather, driving, and the pervasive influence of American culture were all deal breakers for us pursuing residency in Panama.

We learned many valuable lessons about house sitting and expat life in Los Altos de Cerro Azul. Valuable information that we could not have learned without living like locals in the community.

Living like expats house sitting in Turkey and Spain

This was the homeowners pool at our house sit in Ovacik Turkey

People from around the world choose to expatriate to the Turquoise Coast in Turkey. Stunning beaches, cheap prices, and incredible weather are just a few of the things that make this stretch of coastline so attractive. We jumped at the chance to house sit in this area to find out what it was like to live there.

Here were our key findings house sitting in Ovacik, a small village in Southern Turkey- living costs were very affordable and it is a culturally rich area despite its touristy atmosphere. We managed to live comfortably on $27 USD a day. That included everything; groceries, transportation, attractions and eating out in restaurants. We loved the markets and all of the fresh produce and seafood available in Fethiye, a nearby harbor side city.

We loved this area of Turkey because of the things listed above and the hidden gems we learned about from the expat homeowner we house sat for. She showed us the restaurants and businesses loved by locals. We benefited from her expertise and were able to get a good feel for what life was like in the area in just one month.

When we house sat in Spain we lived like locals in Fuente Mar, a small community between the towns of Vera and Garrucha along the southern coast. We spent two months there and were stunned how affordable it was to live well.

We knew it would be cheaper than living back home in Canada but were surprised to learn how cheap costs were compared to other countries we visited. Living costs in this area of Spain ended up being the cheapest of all the places we'd visited! We spent $25 USD and lived like kings.

We loved the culture and the community in the area. Everything we wanted was within walking distance including a bustling outdoor market and the beach. The holiday/expat community where we were house sitting was lovely, safe, and close to everything we could want or need.

The bottom line is,

We could afford to try living life as an expat in three different parts of the world because of house sitting. Living in local communities, shopping, eating out, and socializing with locals helped us make informed decisions on where we'd like to pursue residency abroad.

There is no doubt in our minds that house sitting makes learning about life in a new country much easier. Homeowners are resident experts and they'll share their expertise with you. I can't think of an easier or better way to gain this knowledge. Knowing the places that locals love as soon as you set foot in a potential new home is invaluable. House sitting is a great way to try expat life easily and affordably.

If house sitting sounds like something you'd be interested in trying you can sign up for our free house sitting e-course below. It is a seven email series that will walk you through how to get started as a house sitter. Sign up and a week from now you could be applying for free accommodation in a place you've dreamed of living!

About Tracey

Hello. I am glad you're here! I'm Tracey, a freelance writer who sold everything to travel the world with my Husband and our young Son. We live with less, believing travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. I love to write and share our experiences to inspire others to travel more and live the life they dream.

We had never tried house sitting before we left to explore the first country on our potential relocation list. It has supercharged our research efforts. We learn so much more about local culture the places we visit in a lot less time because of house sitting.

I know a lot of travel bloggers that are also house sitters. I considered it, but my job didn’t allow it at the time. I am starting a new job soon though, one that will allow me to work remotely a few days out of the week. I’d like to try more local house sits first before trying my hand at international ones. Great tips though!

I will have to forward this article to my husband. I’ve been nudging him to move abroad with me, but he is hesitant because of the cost. Living rent-free somewhere might be a way to convince him that this could be worth a shot for us.

I agree that housesitting is the way to go! We’ve been on the Caretaker Gazette list for years, but have only done short stints in the USA. I love the idea of integrating with the local communities on our travels.

It sounds like you’ve had some incredible housesitting experiences! We’ve housesat for brief periods of time in our hometown in California for friends, but haven’t tried it abroad yet. You’ve definitely convinced me of the benefits! It seems like a great way to integrate into the community and get to know a place in a deeper way than just passing through. Not to mention that you can stay in amazing places like that home in Turkey!!

I’m surprised house sitting isn’t more popular, it sounds ideal for many who desire a home away from home. Of course it helps if the homes are as stunning as the ones you took care of. Your home in Ovacik Turkey is incredible!

Great experiences Guys!! My husband and I are big fans of house and petting sitting too! Actually we love it! In two year travelling around the world, we already saved almost 10 months on accommodation by looking after homes and pets. Plus, we get to live a local life and experience a destination in a completely different way as we were there only for a holiday. Cheers and happy travels!

I’m surprised that Panama ended up being the most expensive of all 3 towns you stayed in, I would’ve guessed it would be in the most inexpensive. I agree with Spain, when we visited the Andalucia region this year, everything was quite affordable.

We were surprised about how much more our costs in Panama ended up being as well Brenda! One of the major contributing factors was the location where we were house sitting. The community was quite far from essential amenities so we needed to drive a lot more. Gas for a vehicle was an expensive we had in Panama and nowhere else. Many would be expats consider living in this community because of the beauty its remote nature provides. I am glad we got to try out living there, we hadn’t realized how much work the location could be or how it could impact our daily living expenses.

Sounds like an amazing experience! I’ve always wanted to try housesitting. I think we will have to give it a go sometime soon! It’s great you were able to test out a few different spots before committing to anything, and it’s fun to be able to live and try out such different spots! Turkey and Spain both sound like perfect spots to live for awhile, especially since you were able to do it for so cheap!

25 dollars a day in Spain. That is really affordable. However, I think it’s more than just the cost. It depends on how comfortable you feel in the particular city your plan to move to. House sitting is a great way like you said, to experience different places firsthand before making the move.

Comfort, how you feel in a community definitely is an important factor. That’s another reason we feel house sitting is so effective in getting to really know the places we visit. Living in a typical house, in a regular neighborhood puts you right in the middle of average life. There’s no better place to be to gauge your potential comfort factor.